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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

"... in 2016, the NRA and the National Federation of Independent Business apparently have veto power over the nominations to the nation’s highest court."

...................................................................................................................................................................COMMENTS: * Republicans have become irrelevant. A party which has decided if it can't dominate then it will obstruct and sabotage. How is their actions any different than another country actively working against the country's best interests? They say they ARE working for the country's best interests, but they aren't winning any majority polling on any issue...so whose interests are they talking about? Who actually runs the Republican establishment? They cannot sustain this level of obstructionism without be considered traitors to their oaths.* The people of Kentucky must be so proud, they did this to America. McConnell has said from the beginning of Obama's first term, that it was his job to make Obama a 1 term President and will do whatever it takes. The Kentucky voters made the choice to vote McConnell in, which has caused America's Congress to stop working due to filibusters, and blocking everything, including the new SCOTUS nominee... Conservatism has become a sad political theme if not for the unlimited money, the gerrymandered voting districts, and the Voter I.D. State laws stopping progressives voters from voting, the Conservative Party would be extinct.* Mitch McConnell is a traitor to the American people since 2008. By his statement of "Obama will be a one term president" and his actions to block any policy/legislation supported by the president due to the fact that it is Obama, not on the value for the American people is traitorous action.* McConnell & other Republicans didn't have a problem with casting votes for Reagan's pick in Feb 1988, just 10 1/2 months before his term was to have ended. In fact, Kennedy got a 97-0 confirmation vote. Now, he's letting special interest groups dictate to him what should be done.* This issue is red meat for a Democrat looking unseat a Republican Senator. Just keep showing McConnell saying "The American people should have a say in who the nominee is." Then have some voice over guy read the passage in Article II about the president nominating SCOTUS Justices. Then have Fox announce that President Obama was re-elected for a 4 year term. Then, hopefully, the Republican guy has said he "supports" or "defends" the Constitution. Then across the screen put in big blue letters "HOW?!?!" Hammer away at this guy. If he's a multi-term Senator, so much the better, then you can paint him as a Washington insider too! Yeah, I'm looking at you Chuck Grassley!!* Just more proof that republicans are controlled by special interest groups. Grover Norquist is on the NRA board of directors.
...................................................................................................................................................................On Supreme Court, Republicans can’t keep their story straight
By Steve Benen, March 21, 2016

After President Obama introduced Judge Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court, Republicans, some of whom called for Garland’s nomination, said his qualifications were irrelevant. This is about the GOP’s self-imposed, made-up principle regarding confirmation votes in a presidential election year, not the merits of the individual jurist.

Soon after, the Republican National Committee unveiled a list of complaints about Garland – evidently representing the best RNC oppo researchers could come up with – suggesting the Republicans had changed their mind about whether the fight was about the nature of the fight.

Over the weekend, in the party’s official weekly address, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) switched back to the original talking point, ignoring Garland and arguing, “This is about principle, not the person the president has nominated.”

A day later, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) switched again, saying it is about the person the president nominated. The GOP leader said on “Meet the Press” yesterday:

“I think when you’ve got a nominee that MoveOn.org is extremely enthusiastic about, and multiple articles pointing out that if Judge Merrick were in fact confirmed, he would move the court dramatically to the left…. I don’t think it’s a good idea to move the court to the left.”

On “Fox News Sunday,” McConnell then contradicted his argument – the second one, not the first one – saying the fight is about the person. “I can’t imagine that a Republican majority in the United States Senate would want to confirm in a lame duck session a nominee opposed by the National Rifle Association, the National Federation of Independent Business that represents small businesses that have never taken a position on the Supreme Court appointment before. They’re opposed to this guy,” McConnell said.

In the same interview, McConnell then contradicted this argument – the first one, not the second one – saying this isn’t about Garland at all. “I think what we need to focus on is the principle, the principle,” he argued. “Who ought to make this appointment?”

Part of the problem here is the cringe-worthy incoherence of the Republican pitch. Over the course of literally a few days, the party, which had a month to prepare for this showdown, has managed to tell the public the fight is about Garland, is not about Garland, except when it is, which it isn’t. McConnell failed to keep his own story straight to a dizzying degree: the Kentucky lawmaker ended up changing his mind about his own argument several times just yesterday morning, taking both sides of the same issue within the same interview.

It’s tempting to have Senate Republicans debate themselves for a while. Perhaps they can let the rest of us know when they’ve figured out what they want to say.

The more alarming problem is the fact that the Senate Majority Leader seems to think press releases from activist groups should have some direct role in shaping the future of the nation’s highest court.

The constitutional process directs the Senate – the institution formerly known as the world’s most deliberative body – to advise and consent in the confirmation process. As far as Mitch McConnell is concerned, however, senators shouldn’t even consider a qualified nominee because MoveOn.org and the National Rifle Association have provided the Senate Majority Leader with all of the information he needs to know.

Who needs the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold confirmation hearings about one of the nation’s most important jobs? Mitch McConnell has a press statement from a lobbying group – and in 2016, the NRA and the National Federation of Independent Business apparently have veto power over the nominations to the nation’s highest court.

If McConnell is still capable of shame, now would be an excellent time for him to recognize just how sad a display he’s putting on for the nation.
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